Make and Do the Woodcraft Way

By J. G. Cone

"Make and Do the Woodcraft Way" is a fantastic vintage guide to woodcraft and outdoors. The term woodcraft - or woodlore - refers to skills and expertise relating to living and surviving in the woods-such as hunting, fishing, and camping. This volume covers a wide range of subjects and should appeal to all who enjoy making and doing things. Contents include: "Totem Poles", "Woodcraft Handwork", "Furnishing the Den", "Camping", "Camp Gadgets", "Camp in Comfort", "Camp Cooking", "The Sign of Woodcraft", "Woodcraft Picture Writing", Woodcraft Trails: Tracks and Tracking", "Woodcraft Nature Lore", "Camp-fire Blankets and Robes", "Woodcraft Tests", "Woodcraft Names", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction. This book was first published in 1940.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Country Books
• Release date: Feb 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781528783798

Book preview

TOTEM POLES

THERE is only one totem, but many designs, and each can represent an individual, Patrol, Troop, Association or County.

When we consider the tools the Indian had to work with to hew out his large totem poles, it will be realised that it is not necessary for one to be an expert wood-carver to make a totem. Just bold symbolic designs filled in with splashes of bright colour give the right effect. By symbolic I mean that these suggestions may not be, say, a good picture of an animal or bird, but rather a caricature, any prominent feature of the totem sign being emphasised. The origin of this type of totem carving by the Indian was no doubt due to the fact that they were hewn out of a log; therefore the whole or correct shape of the many animals could not be carved. Nevertheless one could tell what it was meant to represent.

For a Scout staff or individual totem practically the only tools required are a good sharp penknife, small saw and, if handy, a gouge. Quite a lot of shaping can be done by scraping with pieces of glass.

For the larger totem a few extra heavier tools such as a well-ground and sharpened Scout axe, large saw, heavy chisels and gouge, also a mallet will be necessary.

Scout Staff Totems.—A totem to represent a woodcraft name or Patrol is very easily cut out at the top of a Scout staff. This is followed downwards by many other signs and symbols.

Many staves carried by Scouts are still in the same condition as when they purchased them, perhaps two, three or even more years ago. Now a staff is just the thing upon which a real good record of your activities, progress and travels can be carved, whittled or burned. Some Scouts do carve their staves, but the signs and symbols do not mean a thing. They are merely pretty decorations. They are quite good in a way and show that the fellow has taken an interest in his staff.

In this book I give you many signs and symbols which represent our various activities, and these can be made use of on your staff. By carving them in various positions, the signs can indicate quite an intelligible record, and it is this idea which I suggest all Scouts should endeavour to do. In the sketch I am giving you an example of how a record can run.

Burning the symbols on with a red-hot skewer is perhaps a slow but, nevertheless, good method, but carving out with a good sharp penknife proves quite successful, and the cuts can be filled in with paints of various colours.

Avoid drilling large holes in the staff. This only tends to weaken it. Small holes to take a boot-lace can do no harm.

Think how proud you will be in years to come of your staff all carved with records of the past. It becomes a priceless souvenir.

Patrol Totems.—These are larger than a staff totem and can, if desired, be cut out separately from the pole and fixed to the top of the pole. This method is not so effective as a one-piece totem. Here are a few examples:

Troop Totems.—The carving of a Troop or Association totem is a more ambitious attempt, but nevertheless, bit by bit, it can be done. Here again the carving is done very roughly, and the symbols could take the form of the Group or Association badge; badge or totem of each Troop, together with the Patrol totems; or even the name of each Scout. From this you will see that the carvings are symbolic of the various Patrol animals, each prominent feature of the bird or animal being brought out somewhat similar to a caricature. By this method a design is formed. The totem can be carved either on one side or both sides, each side being exactly alike. The wings, horns or any other protrusion is made from a separate piece of wood, fitted into a slot and fixed in by wooden dowels.

1. Bulldog Totem.

2. Falcon Totem.

3. Swan Totem.

Top.

Bottom.

The size of the totem can be anything from 10 to 30 feet high, allowing for a good portion being buried in the ground.

The colouring should be done with bright paints. Start now! Get your log and carve away. This will make a fine activity for the winter months. Don’t just long for a totem—make one!

PAINTING YOUR TOTEM

This should be done in nice bright contrasting colours. I have found that if the whole figure is given an undercoat of white paint first and allowed to dry before commencing to paint in colours, such colours as yellow, brown or mauve stand out very well. After the paint has dried a coat of varnish will tone the colours down. The totem will look much better after the colouring has aged.

It is best to use ordinary oil paints, and small tins of these, in all kinds of colours, can be bought for a few coppers. If each Scout buys a different colour and one brush, you can quite easily make use of one another’s paints, and so save the expense of buying a whole tin when perhaps just a few splashes of a particular shade are all that is required.

If you do not wish to paint your staff totem at all, give it a coat of wood dye and varnish.

WOODCRAFT HANDWORK

A PART from woodcraft camp gadgets and den furniture, which are also examples of woodcraft handwork, there are many other things which can be classified under this category—woodwork, leatherwork, bonework and such things as flint chipping were all arts and crafts practised by the backwoodsman, pioneer and Indian.

There is nothing much in purchasing a belt, knife-sheath or any other article of kit, but there is something in making a plaited one in a woodcraft style. I am not suggesting that Scouts should dispense with the regulation pattern belt or any other parts of a Scout’s kit, but I am giving you an idea or two on how to make various articles which cannot be purchased in a shop, and showing you how you can do things in a woodcraft way.

Let us take the tom-tom, for instance. This is not at all going back to the savage state. We have our drums, so why not a tom-tom. The beat of the tom-tom or the sound of a gong to call the troop to the camp-fire is far more in keeping with the atmosphere than anything I know. It is a part of the ceremony, so make one for your Troop.

HOW TO MAKE A TOM-TOM

There are two ways of making a tom-tom, one of which is by using a size drum, and the other by hollowing out an elm log. The latter method takes a long time to complete, but it is well worth the trouble, as the finished tom-tom is very near the real thing.

To make the barrel kind, obtain a size barrel, which can be bought from most oil and colour merchants. These are generally bound by three wooden bands, one at each end and one in the centre. Remove the centre band first and replace it by a small wooden hoop, which should fit very tightly round the centre. This should be fastened by small nails. Then remove the top band and replace by a wooden hoop, which is fitted inside the barrel. This should not fit so tightly that it pushes the staves of the barrel apart. Keep this in position with one or two nails.

The outside of the top of the barrel should be bound very tightly with a strong leather band, which is kept in position by a row of small nails. Remove the bottom band and take out the bottom of the barrel. Fix a wooden hoop inside and a leather band outside as you did at the top. Plane the top edge of the barrel so that it is as smooth and level as possible.

Make four wooden pegs about 4 inches long, as illustrated.